A report on just how the EU directive on herbal medicines may negatively affect your health!
A Prelude to EU’s herbal directive: German man’s herbal order stopped by
Customs. Requires a doctor’s prescription!
by Heidi Stevenson
25 November 2010
A common question about the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive
(THMPD) is ’what effect it will actually have?’ We need only look to Germany
to see. Germany accepted and implemented Codex Alimentarius rules back in
2005 and 2006. These are the rules that are now being implemented throughout
Europe. The directive associated with herbal medicines is 2004/24/EC
(THMPD), set to begin full enforcement at the end of April 2011.
Michael Morris is a German citizen who uses herbs to maintain his health.
Recently, he ordered three herbal blends from Body Force, a company in the
United States. He hasn’t received them. Customs grabbed them, saying that
they’re medicines requiring a doctor’s prescription.
The Products in Question
Before continuing this tale, let’s take a look at the products Michael
ordered:
* Free-Liver: Ingredients are Wormwood, Orange peel, Burdock root, Milk
Thistle seed, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Chanca Piedra, and Dandelion root.
* Parasite-Free: Ingredients are Quassia bark, Butternut bark, Graviola,
Green hulls of Black Walnut, Rhubarb, Wormwood, Goats Rue, Milk Thistle
seed, Diatomatious Earth, Cloves, African Cayenne, Red Raspberry seed,
Pumpkin seed, Garlic, Black pepper, Turmeric, Aloe Vera, Papain.
* Charconite: Ingredients are Activated Charcoal, Bentonite Clay,
Cascara Sagrada, Senna leaf, Lo Han Guo.
These products are preservative-free, starch-free, gluten-free, magnesium
stearate-free, non-GMO, and vegan. One of these products has no reasonable
chance of being approved by the EU, and two of them have absolutely no
chance.
No non-plant products will be allowed in herbal blends. Activated Charcoal
and Bentonite Clay eliminate Charconite and is a product that will be available
without a prescription in the EU. Diatomatious Earth will keep Parasite-Free
off the market.
At this point, not a single herb in Free-Liver has even been listed (registered) by the EU. Free-Liver’s chances of being approved are virtually nil on that basis
alone.
Consider that Orange peel is a common ingredient in marmalade.
Turmeric is commonly used in Asian cooking and soups. Black Pepper is the
common table condiment. Wormwood is an old remedy for parasites. Milk
Thistle is routinely taken to protect the liver. Burdock root is used to
remove toxins from the blood. Chanca Piedra is used to support the liver,
gall bladder, and kidneys, and has been used to treat stones. Dandelion root
promotes liver health. Each of these must be approved for use as medicinal
herbs in the EU. Then, the particular combination must be subjected to
testing before it can be sold. Even after the combination has been approved,
the product must also be subjected to the same sort of processing that
chemical drugs must (and should) undergo.
Seizing Herbal Products
Lest this sound like fear mongering, let’s take a look at what Michael
Morris, who already lives under Codex Alimentarius rule, is facing. He wants
to use the Body Force products for his health. He says, "I’d like to detox
my body and those products contain the optimal mix of herbs for deep and
thorough cleanses."
But, it appears that the German state takes a dim view of a citizen’s right
to choose how to manage his health. Customs stepped in and seized the
products. They sent him a letter telling him why.
The products were examined by the State Office for Health, which identified
them as "medicine". Medicines may be imported from other countries only if
they have been approved within the Medical Law by German federal agencies
and the recipient has approval to import them.
Non-approved medicines may be imported only if they can be marketed in both
the countries of origin and receipt and if they are provided in quantities
and doses that are provided by pharmacies and the receiver has a doctor’s
prescription or license to import them.
When he phoned the Customs office on receipt of the letter, Michael Morris
was informed that they were considering forwarding the package to law
enforcement, with the clear implication that he might have ordered all that
detox stuff to sell illegally. However, they were too busy, and since it
wasn’t an easy enough case to make, they opted against it.
Michael was informed that he could have the herbs only if he can provide a
special import permit or a doctor’s prescription that was issued before the
purchase and states the reasons for importing them. If he doesn’t provide
the permit or prescription, the package will be sent back or destroyed. He
has until the 13th of December.
Michael Morris’ Concerns
Michael Morris has been interested in alternative medicine for years. He likes to
explore new things that could make people more free and independent, such as
alternative and advanced renewable energy sources. He’s interested in the
current state of mankind, which he believes "is not too great, to be frank",
and how we can do better.
He states that the pharma industry is not interested in your health, that if
people were healthy, pharma would go bankrupt. Therefore, it’s logical that
their aim is to keep and make people ill. Michael says that doctors don’t
cure diseases, that they only mask and suppress symptoms. He believes that
the only way to be well is to flush out what makes you sick and to maintain
a healthy diet.
In response to the question, "What worries you about not having access to
these herbs?" Michael responded:
This is very worrisome, since government and officials are restricting
access to herbs I need in order to detox my body. The powers that be want to
dictate what I shall eat and drink. They’re taking away my right to
self-determination. I’m a mature citizen and can decide myself what is and
is not good for me.
My case is a clear example that Germany has fully implemented this EU
directive on herbal medicine, and that from April 2011, this will be the
norm for all EU countries. The seven year transition period ends then, and
every member state must fully abide by the Directive.
I don’t like to say this since it might frighten some people, but being
honest and upfront: This is the direction everything is going with EU
directives and other laws clearly towards a dictatorship. People must wake
up to this fact. This is not a game. This is bitter reality.
Germany’s Draconian Policy Is Planned for the Rest of Europe
Will herbs that are defined as having medical uses still be available under
the THMP Directive? Should we trust to luck that they will? What’s clear is
that many, and possibly most, medicinal herbs will not be available after
they’ve been sold out. No one will be able to grow, process, and package
herbs grown in the back garden; it will be illegal without going through the
onerous and prohibitively expensive process of registration. Most
manufacturers of herbal products, especially the highest quality, organic
products, are relatively small. They won’t be able to afford the costs
involved in registering their products. All herbs from systems developed
outside the EU, such as Ayurvedic and Chinese, will be illegal.
What is happening today in Germany is what’s planned for the rest of the EU.
It’s that simple.
Of course, the powers that be aren’t stating that’s the intent. If they did,
people would resist. They’re relying on the vagueness, convolutedness, and
technicality of the wording in their documents to hide the truth. That alone
should make clear that we cannot trust that the outcome will be acceptable.
If it isn’t, it’s too late. Trying to undo a disastrous law is far more
difficult than trying to stop it.
The question that’s often asked is, "What will THMPD actually do? Will it
really be all that bad?" That’s not the right question. The right question
is, "Does the EU have the right to do anything at all regarding our access
to herbs?" The answer to that is a resounding, "No!" Any limitations are an
abrogation of our rights.
That’s why the Stop the THMPD Petition says, "We call on the European
Commission to stop the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive
(THMPD), Directive 2004/24/EC, which is set to remove access to the vast
majority of herbal medicinal products beginning 30 April 2011." It doesn’t
say that we want to negotiate. It says we want it to be stopped.
We, the people, have the right to make health decisions for ourselves. There
is no reason to regulate medical systems and methods that have been freely
available throughout human history. Compared to any modern medical
treatments, herbs compare so safely that a comparison is farcical.
Whether you agree with Michael Morris or disagree strongly is not the issue.
The point is that Germany has taken his right to self-determination in
health away from him. Even if you think that he’s unreasonable, by what
right does anyone step between him and his choices in healthcare?
Sign the Petition! click here